On Wednesday I went to my first Guitar Masterclass ever. I really didn’t know what to expect and when I turned up there were a lot of people holding guitar cases. I didn’t have mine and there was no way I wanted to be in a room full of guitar players all fiddling away with their favourite licks. Thankfully that didn’t happen. I had never heard of the guy, Plini, before and made the decision not to listen to any of his music so that I could go in with an open mind. The class started with him playing a 6 minute piece and then talking briefly about it. He then opened up the floor for questions and after an awkward pause the questions flowed. Then he played some more, then more questions and so on for about an hour and a half. I was impressed with his playing and his story of how he is developing as a musician. I got on the train to go home and the questions began to flow. He had been honest about his lack of serious music theory knowledge and that he let his ears be the judge of what was good and what was not. He also knew his present limitations and was still creating good music within them, while challenging himself to explore and grow. This left me with my biggest question – am I doing the best I can with what I have while I commit to growing. I know that I used too, years ago when I had a driving passion to play music. The next question – how do I get it back? I am not sure, but this is the next part of the journey.
So it was a successful experience but not for the reasons I first thought. There were a lot more questions on that train home but I will keep them for when I have some answers. My life, lately, has been a series of growth moments where I rediscover my passion for music and I think I am excited to be on the journey. How is your musical journey, is it an emotional rollercoaster or are you content where you are and who you are?
Below is a you tube clip of Plini. Enjoy.
All Things Musical. 